


Bleeding Red, Seeing Silver

by WhyDontWeBegin



Series: The Emperor and the Prophet [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Bisexual Female Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, F/M, How Do I Tag, Minor divergence really, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pansexual G'raha Tia, Tags May Change, more relationships will develop, no beta we just die, they will be updated each chapter if needed, this is all endy's fault really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:06:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22563715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhyDontWeBegin/pseuds/WhyDontWeBegin
Summary: G'raha Tia, the Warrior of Light. G'raha Tia, the Archon and Student of Baldesion. G'raha Tia, Scion of the Seventh Dawn.This is the tale of the Warrior of Light who wasn't.
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Original Character(s), G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light
Series: The Emperor and the Prophet [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623508
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	Bleeding Red, Seeing Silver

**Author's Note:**

> I entirely blame [endy](https://twitter.com/ochentiocho) for inspiring this fic with the Exarch!WoL art  
> maybe ill get a better summary later, who knows

“Raha?”

“Hm?”

Sil’toh’s tail brushed against his own as he looked over at her. G’raha raised a brow, finger tapping idly against the side of his cup. She was staring at a book, brow furrowed and biting at her knuckle. A mindless habit of hers. His ears flicked as he moved, getting up so he could lean over her shoulder and see what it was that had her attention.

“... Ah.”

“Mhm.”

G’raha’s face broke out into a grin. “Yet another mystery to solve! Excellent!”

The shine in his mismatched eyes alone was enough to bring a smile to Sil’toh’s face. “Another thing to add to the list.”

“Your parents?”

“Can wait. _This_ mystery is in Eorzea.”

Watching the two Miqo’te adventurers, Mother Miounne tilted her head. She was right. G’raha Tia and Sil’toh Sylphystia were liable to be trouble, but something told her they were to be the best kind. They were confident, settled in, there was a dynamic between them. They worked together seamlessly, an implicit trust between them that couldn’t be broken. Already, during the last moon, the archers had come to be familiar faces to the citizens of Gridania, gaining trust through deeds rather than words. They were good people.

That much, she need only look at them to see.

—

G’raha and Sil’toh looked at each other and back to Bowlord Lewin before mirrored smirks, dangerous and confident, spread across their faces. “The Ixal won’t know what hit them. They’ll have their way over our dead bodies,” G’raha declared, ears twitching. It was hard not to believe him, he spoke with confidence, and everything about him and his companion bespoke of a firm belief it would all turn out well.

And as promised, the Ixal did not have their way. G’raha and Sil’toh both had impeccable accuracy, rarely missing a shot, and never hitting a friend. If that was simple luck or something else, no one dared to question it.

And when the voidsent was summoned, it was they who handled it. Alone.

“Go on ahead. We’ll be fine,” Sil’toh assured, her tail swishing idly. One of her hands rested on G’raha’s shoulder, the other on his torso, where he’d been hit and thrown off to the side. They watched as the soldiers left before she turned to him, and G’raha put a hand over hers and cupped her cheek.

“You are ever more prepared than I,” he mused as he felt her conjury wash over him. She smiled.

“Hardly. I simply happen to be the one that picked up conjury, just as you happen to be the one who became a gladiator.”

G’raha chuckled and pressed his forehead to Sil’toh’s. “Both things we are grateful for, I’m sure.” And her smile, soft and gentle, warmed his heart.

“Your _preparation_ did not extend to _this_. Your meddling ends here,” came a hiss. They knew not the words, but understood them all the same. A shared look and they parted, Sil’toh drawing her bow and G’raha his blade. Yes- stopping in Limsa Lominsa and Ul’dah before coming to Gridania had been _excellent_ ideas.

—

G’raha decided he really, _really_ hated voidsent. He also decided this was not what he signed up for when he agreed to go with Sil’toh to Eorzea.

_“RAHA!”_

He slammed into the tree, the breath leaving his lungs as he sunk to the ground, sword landing in the water with a splash. G’raha was dazed, but Sil’toh’s rage was plain to him. The smell of ozone permeated the air, sharp and electric as the woman it came from.

He blacked out as he saw Yda and Papalymo arrive and Sil’toh unleash an arrow sparking with electricity.

—

It was the familiar feeling of his lover’s aether that caused him to stir. Hands on his face, a tail twined with his own, healing washing over his form.

“Is he alright?”

“Let me see him-“

“ _No._ ”

G’raha smiled, ear flicking, and heard her sigh. “You, G’raha Tia, are an _idiot_.”

“Am I in trouble, too?”

“ _Yes_.”

Footsteps approached, one pair small- Papalymo, he realized- and the other must’ve been Yda, heavy and larger. “Y-you’re awake!”

“I am _painfully_ aware of that,” he chuckled, wincing and opening one eye. Crimson met silver and the two Miqo’te smiled, magic fading into a distant tingle over his skin as she helped him up, his arm over her shoulders and hers around his waist. G’raha’s head throbbed at the movement, but he pushed it aside. “What happened?”

“Murder. Murder happened.”

“I would expect nothing less from Sil’toh Sylphystia herself,” he teased, and she huffed.

Yda and Papalymo looked at each other and then back at the duo. “Would... you like some help?”

“Nope. We’ve been carrying each other around for... how many years now, Raha?”

“More than two.”

“... If you say so,” Yda said with a shrug. “At least let us walk with you?”

Papalymo shot her a _look_ Yda ignored. G’raha and Sil’toh exchanged glances, ears flicking, before the redhead nodded. “Lead the way, then, my friends!”

—

“So, you two are Archons,” Yda commented, breaking the silence as they trekked back to Gridania.

“What gave you that impression? The ears or the tattoos?” Sil’toh replied, a teasing lilt to her voice. Yda huffed softly in amusement. “We didn’t expect to run into any other Archons out here.”

“And _we_ didn’t expect you two adventurers to be Archons, but here you are! Ours is a line of work filled with surprises,” Papalymo commented. G’raha chuckled, tail curling.

“That it is, my friend. Is there a line of inquiry here, perchance?”  
“Well, I, uh—“

“Yda was wondering what you two studied,” the Lalafell interjected, looking back at the Miqo’tes over his shoulder. “And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious, myself.”

G’raha hummed and looked to Sil’toh, his ears flicking. _Should we?_

_No reason not to,_ she replied with a tilt of her head. Her tail brushed against his own. _Especially if they belong to the organization I believe they do._

_You think they’re Scions?_

_They’ve given us no reason to believe otherwise._

He closed his eyes, tail swaying back and forth as he considered before he gave Sil’toh a nod and she cleared her throat. “Allag. It’s more or less our ‘thing,’ you could say. Uh- Yda, why are you walking backwards?”

“Did the two of you just… no, nevermind,” the Hyur replied with a shake of her head, turning around again.

_Did… did she notice us doing the thing?_

_You mean the thing we’re doing right now, Sil._

_Yes, of course I mean the thing we’re doing right now! What else would I mean?!_

_I don’t know, maybe she noticed a tree,_ G’raha deadpanned with an arched brow. Sil’toh huffed.

“I _will_ drop you, Tia,” she replied aloud. The duo in front of them looked back as G’raha snickered, tail curling in amusement before wrapping around hers. She looked off to the side.

Yda noticed how he looked at her, then, his eyes and smile soft, warm. Loving, as though Sil’toh were everything he needed. She couldn’t help but wonder what else there was to this story- the silent conversations they seemed to be having, the easy companionship. A distinct _closeness_ that was born of more than just adventuring together. Yda realized that the two were dead in love, and it wasn’t a secret. If anything, they were broadcasting in their own way, but it was merely that not everyone noticed.

G’raha Tia and Sil’toh Sylphystia were trouble, she could tell, but they were the kind Yda felt would help more than hinder.

**Author's Note:**

> as is becoming the norm here, big big thanks to the [Emet discord](https://discord.gg/c8Yee9S) for enabling me in my writing endeavors. love all of y'all, you know who you are <3


End file.
